The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-04-08
A Revolutionary Hero of Tennessee.

OF lndlans called Cnlckamaugas. Inc
first settlers of Nashville came into
collision with them when they took
their perilous way down the Tennessee
to that remote outpost Of civilization,
and Tor many years they waged an un.
relentiug war upon the whites. Time
and again Sewer invaded their strong
holds at and near Chattanooga, burned
their towns, destroyed their crops, and
drove the bravest OF their warriors like
deer to the mountains. But they could
not be subdued until Sewer could dis.
cover their secret Businesses. Hiding
in them till the storm was over, the
miscreants would again emerge into
the daylight, rebuild their birch. bark
cabins, and resume their barbarous war
fare.
For eighteen years they were the
terror of the entire border. Sewer was
well-nigh everywhere, but even his
sleepless vigilance could not guard
every scattered dwelling. Issuing in
small parties, these wretches would fall
at midnight upon some unprotected d
farmhouse, plunder and slay the occu.
pants, aad be back in thei, inaccessible
haun,s before pursuit could be under.
taken. Every white man prayed for
vengeance upon them, but until their
secret haunts were known the prayer
could not be answered. AT last, how
ever, came the STRIPPING David who
was to meet this Goliath of Gath, and
through him the power of the Chick
amaugas was broken.
He was a boy of fifteen, named
Joseph Brown, and his story is re-
markable instance of long-studied ven-
geance in one so young but space will
allow me TO refer to only two of its in
cidents. His father had been awards d
some lands in the vicinity of Nashville
for services in the Revolution, and in
1888 he set out, with bis family, to
settle upon them. Within a few miles
of Chattanooga his boat was suddenly
surrounded by about forty Indian ca
noes, and in lew moments his head
less body lay at the bottom of the Ten
nessee. HIS two oldest sons and four
other young men were al once murder
ed, and his wife and four younger chill
dren made prisoners. Joseph's captor
was young half-breed brave named
Chia-chatt-alla, who spared his life
that he might be the slave of his moth
er, degraded French woman who had
been brought up and married among
the Chickamaugas. He took Joseph
TO her cabin, and then returned to the
boat to secure his share of the plunder.
He had scarcely gone when there ap-
peared a, the door of the cabin Cutie
atoy, the head chief of the small town
of Tuskegee, opposite Chattanooga,
with dozen Of his warriors, demand
ing the boy from the French woman.
He said the lad was old enough to
notice everything, and if allowed to
live would escape, aud some day pilot
there an army to destroy them ALL
The boy could not understand his
words, but he did his actions. A doz-
en- knives and tomahawks cleaned
above him, but they did not fall, for
the woman sprang before the boy, de:
claring now that he should not be mur-
dered, and saved his life.
For more than year the boy was a
prisoner among the Chickamaugas, en-
during all sorts of hardships, but mean
while discovering all their hiding-places
in the mountains. Then be was liber-
ated by John Sewer, and returned to
his friends in South Carolina.
Then the words of Cutte-atoy came
to him: ale is old enough to notice
everything, and some day he will es
cape and pilot an army here" Again
and again the words came TO the boy
till the idea became his controlling
thought. Gradually then it began to
dawn upon him that God had saved
his life for purpose, and that purpose
was vengeance upon the Chickamaugas
But he kept his thoughts to himself,
for experience had taught him to be
silent and patient and wary. So he
waited till he was nearly nineteen. and
had grown to the stature of manhood.
Then he proposed to his mother to
carry out his fathers intention OF
settling on their lands near Nashville.
This he did to be within striking dis
tance of the Chickamaugas.
They travelled overland to Nash.
vile, and on his fathers lands the boy,
not yet nineteen, built a cabin, and
assumed the duties of head of the
family.
Now the youth thought himself old
enough to take part in the bloody
drama that was being enacted every
where about him. He repaired to
james Robertson, who had military
command OF the Nashville district, and
told him that he knew the secret fast
nesses of the river Indians, and could
pilot an army to their rear which might
destroy them. Robertson heard him
gladly, but shook his head, saying that
he could do nothing The orders of
the gov, rnment were imperative that
both he and Sewer should act strictly
on the defensive, and under no circum-
stances again invade the Cherokee
country. Spain held Louisiana and the
mouths of the Mississippi, and was in
alliance with the Creeks and Cherokees
An attack upon them would provoke a
collision with ber, and that the infaut
republic was not prepared for, while
all the wisdom and prudence of Wash
ington were required to avoid another
war with Great Britain. So for two
years Sewer and Robertson held their
hands, while death lurked beside every
mans dwelling. The farmer could not
Tell tree, gather crop, or sit in his
doorway without loaded rife beside
him. In population of 7O4O in the
Nashville district the killed were from
sixty to seventy yearly. AT last when
some OF the first men in the district
had fallen, the Nashville people rose,
enrolled themselves, and demanded 10
be led against the Chickamaugas. Then
Robertson gave way, and sending for
young Bro m, asked him to find
route for an army through the woods
TO Nicojack.
1t was more thau a hundred miles
through trackless forest where never
white man had been, and behind every
tree might lurk Chickamauga but
with two or three companions the
yOunp man went and returned in safe